Across the Galaxies
by Midnight-Starr1
Summary: The atlantis expedition was dead. At least that is what United States Air Force told their families. Thought still alive, they are trying to survive in the Pegasus Galaxy without any hope of ever returning home.
1. The Start of Something New

Across The Galaxy

Sometimes he really hated his job. Captain Joseph Garcia had been in the Air Force for 3 years, and for the most part he loved his job. It was only the duty given to him now by the SGC that he hated. His duty was to tell the loved ones of the Atlantis expedition that their loved ones are not coming back. Though, thankfully this will be the last house he visited, and he was with General O'Neill.

When the Atlantis expedition announced that they were going to the Pegasus Galaxy, everybody knew that they might never return. It was decided that after a set period of time their family members would be told that they weren't returning home. Everybody expedition member knew that they only had a year and a half to re-contact with Earth or they would all be considered Killed in Action.

Many of the families he had went to didn't understand. One of the most memorable was McKay's sister's, Jeanie Miller, rant. "How can Rodney be killed in action, he was just a scientist, a Canadian scientist. You have the wrong house not to mention country. I can't believe you Americans would stoop to something like this! Get the hell out!" It had taken them and hour and her husband to get it through her head that they were at the right house and her brother was considered KIA. She hadn't taken it very well. Well, he could understand that because McKay technically wasn't an American, let alone an american soldier.

The tears that followed were then part of the whole ordeal that was hardest to deal with. Then the ultimate question that preceded them was asked. "What was _insert expedition member's name_ doing with the Air Force? Let alone in America." Many of the expedition members weren't part of the military let alone being an American citizen. Most families didn't even know they were working for the military only an old friend, Elizabeth Weir. Apperantly many expedition members, at least on the science aspect, knew her before they decided to go. Talk about a trust factor.

Then, the final part of the process would come, and that made his ears hurt like hell. It was the reply that he was required to give them. "I'm sorry sir/mam but that is classified." Classified. How he hated that word and wished it would rot in hell. He wanted to tell them that there was a chance that their family member could still be alive, only trapped in another galaxy. 'Yeh, like that explanation would fly any better!' He wish they would tell the families what they were working on. The chance to change humanity, not just glory to their country.

Her looked at General O'Neill and notied that he didn't seemed bothered by this. Maybe it was years in the Air Force that harded his heart, which he didn't think was the case because most generals wouldn't go through that much trouble to give this news personally. 'Maybe he just hides it very, very well.' Joseph Garcia then sighed, 'Time to face the music one more time,' and raised his hand to knock. The door then opened to an average woman about 30 years old. She saw the military uniforms and was taken back a bit. Surely she didn't expect us today. Confused she asked "Hello, can I help you officer."

"Is this the family of Major John Sheppard?"

"Just a minute, I'm not sure. This is the Sheppard residence, but I have never heard of a John Sheppard. I just married into the family, so I don't know everybody yet. Let me get my father-in-law."

Mary went back inside. She was a little confused. She had married into the Sheppard family but had never heard of a John Sheppard, but it was the same last name that gave her pause. She might as well ask it could be a distant relative that used Charles or his father as a contact. After all they are military and they don't always have a steady home. Charles turned to his wife. "Who was at the door?"

"It's some military person asking for a John Sheppard. Do you know him?" Mary then sees her husbands face begins to darken while lost in a memory about this "John" person.

Charles then sighed, "My younger brother, you haven't had the chance to meet him.

He is in the Air Force. Let me get dad and see what John screwed up this time."

Then Charles, Mary, and his father returned to the door. "Sorry to keep you waiting, but how can we help you."

"Is this the home of John Sheppard?"

Recognizing the tone in the officer's voice Charles saw his father's shoulder's sag just a bit, and then his voice cut through. "He's dead isn't he?"

Charles was taken back a bit. He couldn't believe his little brother was dead. John may be a screw up but he had some intelligence, somewhere. He turned to the officer while only hoping that John just missed some stupid mission and they were looking for him.

"I'm sorry, but your son had accepted a dangerous mission knowing the possibility that he might never return and the consequences of that. His whole mission team was pronounced missing in action a year ago and their status had changed to Killed in action."

Charles couldn't believe it. Anger then gripped him, "What mission."

This had been the question the Captain had hated every time because he couldn't give the families any information. "I'm sorry but that is classified."

"What do you mean classified? When I was in the air force I had high clearance. I'm sure I can have an old friend on the line to give me clearance. Who will I have to go to?" The father's voice cut through. Anger clouded the grief that was forming.

It was General O'Neil who answered, "I'm afraid that would be the President of the United States. I'm also sorry that the circumstances couldn't be explained to you. You would understand." Then he turned to leave.

"Circumstances! Understand! Who do you think you are? How many people were announced dead? Where is his body? We want a proper funeral!" Charles exclaimed.

"I'm afraid that is also classified. I'm also afraid to tell you that there is no body. Every expedition member was lost." Then General Jack O'Neill left the house.

Charles started to go after him, but was stopped by his wife and father. "There is no point in going after him. He won't tell you anything. He can't without being tried in court."

"But who does he think he is? He didn't tell us anything!"

"He is a general whom just told me to start digging to find the answers."

"What do you mean?"

"He didn't elaborate on the circumstances and implied that knowing them could make a differance."

"How will we get them to tell us? He seemed adament."

"We find the other families and fight and protest to the media. If it is a classified operation then they don't want media attention." With that he went inside leaving his dumbfounded son.

* * *

Little did they know that a galaxy away. John Sheppard was sitting in Elizabeth Weir's office. A small relationship had formed between them. It had started when John brought back Colonel Sumner's body. John had known his first instinct was to put him out of his misery, and even now he sometimes regretted not doing it. But he had brought his commanding officer back to die slow and painfully, and on a lot of morphine.

"It's been a year and a half." Elizabeth Weir stated.

"I know."

"It seems so much longer doesn't it? I'm glad our bluff fooled the wraith. Do you think the children of M7G-677 will cope? They let us use their ZPM and we drained it to pull off the bomb over the shield."

"At least they are alive. And Rodney found that one of their jewelry holds Nequadria (sp?). If we find more on their planet then we can make weapons and reactors to power more of the city. Did you hear the scientists might have found out how the ancients fed everyone on Atlantis?"

"No, but I'm sure Rodney will be here as soon as it pans out, and they have a good idea of how to work it." Nodding her head a solemn, a thought filtered from her mouth before she had time to think, "How does it feel to be dead to all your loved ones?"

"I was dead to them long before my decision to come to Atlantis." And with that said John left the room to go and broad on the balcony. Elizabeth could only look at the man she had come to rely on stand and look at the sea. 'I thought I chased away that habit of speaking before I think.' She then had to chase away the feelings and warmth that started to bloom. 'I can't go there,' was what she repeatedly told herself.

Sheppard was out on the balcony thinking about what Elizabeth had just said. He hadn't seen his family on Earth for a long time before he was exiled to Antarctica. They had always thought of him as a screw up, stupid, fly boy. They preferred to give all the praise and attention to his older brother, Charles. Charles was the star in the family and he was just second best. 'However here on Atlantis I have my own place and people to care about and have the sentiment returned.'

Sheppard was not the moron that many people thought him to be. Sure he appeared clueless, but he has an IQ of 150. It was the highest number on the IQ scale, and the average being 100. He still laughed at the look on Rodney's face when he found out he passed the Mensa exam. Luckily they were in grave danger and were just about to loose a ZPM or Rodney would have hounded him for answers. Though, John knew that he wouldn't have given him any, which would have annoyed him even more. Now it is easy to evade the questioning glances because the finding of the information has passed and anything else would look like digging for answers. Rodney still couldn't believe that he had passed the Mensa. However, he would think John was pulling his leg when he found out that his IQ was twenty points above his and he passed the test at the age of 15. The same year he graduated High School.

'Would you actually be proud of me, dad, with all that I have accomplished?' John then laughed at himself for even thinking of a silly question like that. He knew exactly what his dad thought of him, 'a screw up, of the grandest scale.'

The last time he spoke to his father was when he went off to boot camp. "If you go, don't ever think about coming back." He went because he had wanted to find his own place in the world and knew that if he stayed he would always be compared to Charles. He also wanted to fly. Ever since he was a little kid he had wanted to be close to the sky, because he always thought that his mother was up there somewhere watching him.

His mother was his father's second wife. They married because they were in love, and his father had just gotten over his first wife's death. Johns mother wasn't liked by his dad's family and that sentiment is why they don't like John most of the time. Charles mother was the favorite of his father's wives, which was why Charles was often spoiled and John got the crappy gifts and rushed to the side. They never forgot him, they just didn't like to acknowledge him. They were just as happy when his father denounced him when he joined the Air Force.

His mother was a different story. Is father sometimes loved her more than his first wife. That was probably why he was so distraught over her disappearance. Her car was found off a cliff after a very rainy night. The car was smashed and there was no way she could have gotten out. Her blood was also found in the car. However her body was gone forever.

Then the last time John heard from his father was from that phone call in Antarctica. It was that phone call that was the deciding factor of joining the Atlantis expedition. He remembered waking up to that phone call, which got him extremely pissed off. "John, what the hell were you thinking? I had to hear from an old war buddy that my son pulled a career killer. I didn't want you to join the air force because you could have had a degree in anything you wanted, but you wanted to fly planes."

John then cut him off, "Why are you calling? I thought that you didn't want to hear from me since I joined the air force. Well you can go to hell, along with your criticism." And then John hung up the phone.

Then an officer cam into the room and asked if any pilot was willing to make a morning run ASAP. John being the only one up, and wanting to cool down agreed. He knew that being in the open skies would sooth his temper. Little did he know that he would be shot at by a weird missile and offered the change of a lifetime?

John shook his head. If it weren't for his father pissing him off yet again he wouldn't be in this paradise looking out into the ocean. He also wouldn't have even met Elizabeth. He couldn't believe it when he felt himself falling in love with her. She wasn't his type, he found himself repeating over and over again. His type was typically the drop dead gorgeous girls with little brains and no chance at attachments. But, with Elizabeth, there was a drop dead gorgeous woman with intellect and a tongue that could rip even the bravest soldiers a new one. He knew from personal experience. He sighed knowing that she would never give him a second glance, romantically speaking, and it would ruin any professional relationship. That couldn't happen he knew it because if he couldn't be with her than he would rather protect her and be her friend.

AN: Sorry for the reposting. Expect the next chapter sometime this week. I wasn't in the mood to write the second chapter with my grandmother in the hospital. She is doing better now, which is fantastic since the doctors told us she wouldn't make it through the night! Anywho... The next chapter is underway and I want to reedit it before I post it this time. Thanks for the review and I hope you like some of the additions to the story!


	2. Chapter 2

John looked out across the ocean. It was night. He couldn't explain it, but he felt calmer when he stood on a balcony looking out into the ocean. Atlantis itself seemed to calm him. That too he couldn't explain. Rodney was currently on a rant that he has better control over Alteran1 technology. He could access any type of technology in Atlantis with very little problems. Carson couldn't explain it and science for that matter. He ATA gene was stronger than anybody else's. It was a little inconceivable because the gene has been diluted in almost everybody else and they needed to concentrate to work the technology, but for John it was like breathing.

He couldn't believe that Ford was lost, and not in the sense that he will be coming in a while but that he may never ever return. This was after they had found a planet that harvested the wraith enzymes, which inevitably caused them to go crazy. John still couldn't believe that Ford accepted the drug against his direct orders. He had been adamant that it could benefit Atlantis and give them an advantage against the wraith. Because Teyla, Rodney and John wouldn't accept the natives turned unfriendly started to shoot at us. This time however was without any provocation, well if you could call it that.

Aiden Ford had looked at his commanding officer and exclaimed, "How could you turn this down. Common, just try a little of it. It will change your mind completely."

"That is what I'm afraid of. You are acting crazy! I ordered you to NOT take that drug and you do it anyway. What were you thinking? You are going strait to detoxify when we get back to Atlantis. And we DID accept a small portion of the drug to test it before we try it. Who knows what effects it could have? But looking at you I'm starting to see that it had impaired judgment as one of them."

"I don't have impaired judgment. That is you! I won't go back to Atlantis these people said I could stay here and help with their fight against the wraith."

"You're coming back if you like it or not." Then he pulled his gun out on Aiden and tried to fore him to return with the rest of the group. However, the natives didn't like that act of aggression on one of their sympathizers, and helped Aiden get away through the gate. They had returned to the planet only to find that the people had moved onto another location. Another unknown location. It could take months to years to even locate him.

Then again it was the search for Ford that they met Ronan. They had received intelligence that Ford was on an uninhabited planet and they found Ronan there. Or rather Ronan found Teyla, and she talked him into trusting Carson into removing the signal from his back. Ronan then came back to Atlantis. Ronan was only able to find solace while work out with the marines, and beat them 20:1.

John then smiled at the argument he presented to Elizabeth when he wanted Ronan on his team. After all four is the magic number to off world teams. Ronan is now a part of his team. Sometimes he feels like he is replacing Ford, but he knows that is crazy. Aiden was a friend, and now Ronan is another friend. They didn't compare to each other and couldn't. Ronan is a good option for his team. He can take care of himself and hates the wraith. Though, he isn't very talkative. That is why he sent Kate to talk to him. Kate is the therapist on Atlantis. At the beginning he didn't know why they would need one, but now he is eternally grateful to have someone to go and talk to. Not that he always needs that. Normally he could work things out for himself, but the option is always nice to have.

"What are you thinking about?" Elizabeth's voice cuts through the silence. John jumps in surprise and then smiles and turns. Elizabeth then goes to stand directly beside him, so that their arms are partially touching.

"I'm just thinking about the last few weeks. It is hard to imagine that we lost Ford. I keep thinking that I see him around Atlantis. I mean he was just a kid, only 25. Thank you for allowing Ronan onto my team. What are you doing here?"

"Well I didn't really have a choice. You would have kept bugging me for week to months if I didn't give in. And I came to check up on you. You seemed to be out of it earlier, and I wanted to see how you were coping."

John gave a little laugh and smiles. "Well, you know that you wanted to. He's a good man, though I have a feeling that he has been through a lot a shit because of the wraith. There is a story hidden that he doesn't want anybody to know."

"Do you think that we should get him to talk?"

"I'm already on it. I sent Kate after him you know how those psychiatrist live to psychoanalyze new people."

"Poor Kate, she'll have her hands full."

"Ok, I have one question." His voice started to get very low and raspy.

"I can handle any question that you have." She responded with the same tone.

"How did you get into my room? And how did you know I would be on my balcony and not the one in the gate room?" John turned so that they were face to face.

Elizabeth laughed, and then seductively leans up to him and whispers into his ear. "Mums the word." She them smiles and turns to walk, but John then grabs her.

"Um…Thanks for… um…checking up on me." He manages to get out., and she could tell he is a bit nervous.

"No problem that is what friends are for."

"Ya… just friends." John then goes to turn his head but then Elizabeth stops him with her hands. John decided to take one chance, even if it could screw up the best thing in his life. He leaned down and kissed her. She then wrapped her hands around his head. She then pulls him towards his bedroom. (AN: I'll leave the rest to your imagination!)

--0---0---0---0---0--

Meanwhile in another room across Atlantis, Ronan was in the Gym practicing. He was trying to adapt to this new life, but often found himself feeling restless. He didn't have to run from the wraith anymore, and he didn't have to be on his own either. This place was offering him something he hadn't had for a while, a home. His last home was with his fiancé, Melena. Her image started to haunt him once again. He then through the practice sticks against the wall in frustration.

"Need to talk?" A crisp voice entered the room and he turned around and saw a woman. He bent his head a little at having a woman see him loose his temper a bit.

"No" was his only response as he turned to retrieve the sticks.

Kate had been a bit scared when she saw him yell out in frustration when he through the sticks. She wondered briefly if he was safe to be around. But then he had briefly look ashamed at her witnessing his act of aggression. She figured she would try to talk to him because Major Sheppard wouldn't send her to a dangerous person without an armed escort.

"Sometimes it helps to talk."

"Really, how would you know?" was his reply. She was surprised because she had been told by Elizabeth that he barely said two words to her. Maybe she lucked out and he wanted to talk and just needed a person he could trust.

""I'm what my people call a therapist; they listen to people and help them work out there problems. It is sometimes a relief for people to talk to someone in total confidence."

"And then they go around and tell everybody else."

"No! That is prohibited. Every therapist makes a agreement to never mention anything to anybody unless they know that the person is going to hurt themselves or another person. Other than that we never repeat a word of it."

"Totally confidential?"

"Yes, if you need to talk, just come to my office."

"I'll think about it." Ronan replied in a tone that suggested that he wouldn't give it a second thought.

"Ok." She turns around and walks away. A little disappointed that this would be harder. Major Sheppard asked her to talk to him at least once.

--0---0---0---0---0--

It was an hour later. Kate was in her office making tea and trying to catch up on her reports, and also rereading her notes. She then heard a knock at her door. Sighing she went to open the door to an agitated Rodney. He would be the only person to ever bother her at this time at night.

She got to the door to open it only to find Ronan standing there.

"Totally confidential, right? I know Sheppard asked you to talk to me and he had hinted that I needed to open up a bit. If I do this he will be off my back and I'm sure off yours as well, right?"

She smiled a bit and replied, "Yes, you are correct. He can be persistent. Please come on in." She moved away from the door to let him in. She was a bit intimidated because he was so much bigger than her. Not to mention stronger. She was happy that this would be over with. "Take a seat. Would you like some tea?"

"What is tea?"

"It's a good drink. How about I make you a cup and you can try it and see if you like it?"

"Why not?"

She went along and made another cup of tea for Ronan, and was very aware that his eyes trailed her every movement.

"You don't have to be afraid of me you know that. I don't hurt women."

"And that one sparing match with Teyla?"

"She could handle it. Other wise I would never have tried it. How does this work. I never had to go and talk to somebody I didn't know?" He takes a sip of the Grey earl tea. "This is just like Quadra; it was a popular drink on my home world and many other worlds."

Kate smiles, "Well it looks like you just found the answer to my problem when my tea supply runs out. Just get more. I'll ask Teyla about bartering for it." Ronan smiles at the light humor and continues to drink the rich beverage.

"Let us start off simple. Tell me about your family, and about your home world."

"I only had a younger brother, Cadon. The rest of my family was already dead from a sickness that swept through the city. Though now, he is dead with the rest of my people. My home planet was Sedeta and it was a beautiful place. There were 5 big cities. There were many towers, and large buildings. Kind of like those pictures that McKay shoves in my face of civilized worlds and how I should strive to be like them." Ronan laughs at McKay's stupidity.

"Your home world was advanced? In McKay's terminology, at least."

"In McKay's terminology it was an advanced world, at least from what I could gather. My people had weapons. The weapons that I carry weren't picked up randomly; they came from Sedeta." He trailed off, and she could tell that he was thinking about the place he once called home. "It is all gone now. I was in the military. I was fighting when I saw building destroyed, I was near the hospital when it exploded and then I went with the rest of my unit to seal off the weapons chamber. If the wraith had hit the armory than it would have destroyed everything and everyone. We had a weapon similar to you r nuclear weapons. We sealed it off and then the next thing I remember was being on a hive ship."

"What happened the day of the attack?"

"We knew the wraith was coming to make an example of our culture. We had grown powerful, and they didn't want other planets to get any ideas. I went to my home, it was in the outskirts of the city." He paused again. "I tried to convince her to leave through the gate. But she wouldn't listen. She wanted to fight the wraith, but I knew that it was useless. She was a nurse. I didn't get to the hospital in time to save her. And I know that sealing the weapon unit didn't help my people."

"Who's she?"

"My fiancé, Melena. We were supposed to get married a few weeks after the attack, but the wraith came. Though I guess it was for the best. I think she was more in love with my brother than me."

"I'm sorry that she died. But you can't blame yourself for her death."

"Thanks." He then glances behind her and sees that an hour has passed. "It is getting late. I should probably go. I'm sorry for bothering you this late."

"Don't worry about it. Normally McKay doesn't have any qualms about bothering me late at night. Feel free to stop by and talk. It gets easier every time you talk about it."

"The same can be said to you."

"What do you mean?"

Ronan gets up and moves closer. Kate then involuntarily jerks backwards.

"That is what I'm talking about. You're afraid of men. Some man has hurt you in the past. If you need to talk to anyone, I'm here. Who am I going to tell? I'm just a…what did McKay call me… oh… a Neanderthal."

Kate smiles and replies to him. "You're not a Neanderthal. And thanks for the offer. If you want we can talk now. I got time and an old memory makes me sleepy."

"I don't have anything pressing to attend to." He sat back down with their cups refilled with tea. Only this time he sat down right beside her.

"I was out of school and met my ex-boyfriend. He was great at first. He charmed my whole family and pretended that he was in love with me. I guess in his own way he was. However, you never hit the one that you in love with. He slowly became abusive. I repeatedly tried to break up with him but he wouldn't allow it. My family wouldn't allow it."

"Your family should have listened to you."

"But they didn't. It was because if him that I tried to escape by entering into the Stargate program. I chose to come to Atlantis to partially escape him. He couldn't track me across a galaxy. He was my first and last boyfriend."

"Do you think that you'll ever find someone else?"

"Not right now. But I'm happy and content with just my work." She then leaned her head on his shoulder, and then fell asleep. Ronan waited a few minutes and realized that she was asleep. He slowly mover her over and went to open her door to her bedroom. He went back and picked her up bridal style and placed her under her covers. He took off her shoes, and then covered her up. Taking one last glance her turned and quietly closed her door. Kate looked at her door and then fell back asleep.

--0---0---0---0---0--

Back on Earth however there was a different story going on. General O'Neill sat in his office looking at the phone that he should hang up. He had just received a notice from the former Colonel Edward Sheppard, the father of John Sheppard, that the families are petitioning the government to give them the classified knowledge of what happened to their families. They all agreed to go through the necessary checks and sign any forms for silence that is required. Or they would release this story to the media.

'Now how do I explain this one to the President?' was the only thought in Jack's head.

* * *

1 Alteran is the name of the Ancients that was found in Season 9, episode 1 or 2 of Stargate SG1.

AN: I'm sorry for just throwing the couplings out there. I'm lousy at writing romance scenes and I just put them out. As you can probably tell two of the couplings are going to be John/Elizabeth; Ronan/Kate. I'm sorry that I couldn't remember Kate's last name from the show. Guess who Carson and Rodney are getting paired up with.

AN: I know Ronan is a little out of character, but this is how I think of him stares dreamily into the sky and sighs

Thanks and please review to let me know what you think. I'm going to try and update once a week.


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